How to avoid a Notre Dame-scale fire in London

According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), in 2025 there were 823 fire incidents in proximity of a heritage site (within 15 metres or within the same building). 19 of these fires involved casualties.

Charlie Harris, National Fire Adviser for Historic England, called fire the “greatest single risk to our cultural heritage”. Fire can cause devastating damage to a historic building itself, as well as any priceless artefacts housed inside.

Heritage and historic buildings were designed when modern fire engineering standards did not exist, so they generally do not meet the requirements of current regulations. Guidance on fire safety in heritage buildings from LFB and fire heritage experts advises that protecting people from fire while preserving a building’s historic character requires “a balanced approach, taking account of both fire safety and heritage conservation.”

There have been several high-profile fires in historic/heritage buildings in London in the recent past, including at Battersea Arts Centre in 2015, at Grade II* listed St Mark's church in St John’s Wood in 2023, and Somerset House in 2024.

Tomorrow, the London Assembly Fire Committee will question various guests on the risk of fire in heritage buildings.

Guests include:

Panel 1

• Charles Harris, National Fire Adviser, Historic England
• Professor José L. Torero, Head of Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, UCL and Fire Safety Engineer

Panel 2

• Bob Bantock, Operational Risk Business Partner (National Fire Specialist), National Trust
• Mark Grover, Head of Estates & Facilities Management, Royal Museums Greenwich
• Mick Figg, Head of Buildings, Somerset House Trust

The meeting will take place on Wednesday 21 October from 10am, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

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